Members of Parliament for or our Armed Forces

[constar]

Please take a look at my e-petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/165612 hopefully sign and share. If you want some background info put you head in the clouds by clicking here https://1drv.ms/b/s!Au4NXQYzcdnDwyIjPyZh1PkaZG2G.

Thanks for your support in advance.

 

[unruly1986]

Can you spell it out so we don't have to open the links?

Are you saying we should have 'MP for the Armed Forces'?

Surely a bigger chance for things to be ignored if they all go through one person.

 

[FOMz]

There is already an Armed Forces minister (who is as much use as a cock flavoured lollypop)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_State_for_the_Armed_Forces

Personally- I think this post should be filled by someone who has actually served in the forces.

 

[constar]

Petition Wording

Petition Wording

Can you spell it out so we don't have to open the links?

Are you saying we should have 'MP for the Armed Forces'?

Surely a bigger chance for things to be ignored if they all go through one person.

Hi thanks for your
The aim of this petition (i.e. what I want the government to do) is:
‘Create non-geographical parliamentary constituencies for our Armed Forces’
The petition reads as follows:
Depending on individual circumstances, service personnel register to vote using an address which is either: their current address; one where they would reside but for their service, or a previous address. Thus personnel at any one location may be represented by MPs, from across the political divide.
Our Armed Forces deserve to elect their own MPs, rather than have them chosen by an electorate with little appreciation of service life and the conditions under which the military operate both here and abroad.
Without independent representation, or a formal federation, our Armed Forces are unable to make their views known in a coherent manner. Non-geographical constituencies will enable service personnel to elect their own MPs, wherever they serve or live, and be seen as an identifiable entity.

To answer your queries:
The hope would be for an MP for each service. An average constituency has a population of approx 72,000 (largest 120,000ish and smallest 20,000ish). The rationale for having dedicated MPs, as opposed to being represented by 650, is one person being contacted by, say, 650 personnel is going to know there is a problem/concern, whereas currently it would be just one of many for a 'normal' constituency MP. I have used the figure of 650 because this the number of seats in parliament (being reduced to 600 in the next boundary review), and it's possible that each individual in group of service personnel could have a different MP. To my mind this contributes to service communities not being represented,and their concerns going unheeded until it's too late.

By the way the document link provides much more info (stats etc) than I can post here. If you email me on members4armedforces@gmail.com I would be pleased to forward more info. In any event, I hope you will sign the petition and see how far we can take this - all it takes is a click and a few keystrokes!

Hope this helps
Regards

 

[constar]

There is already an Armed Forces minister (who is as much use as a cock flavoured lollypop)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_State_for_the_Armed_Forces

Personally- I think this post should be filled by someone who has actually served in the forces.

Defence ministers are members of the government - they do not represent you (in the ministerial roles they perform). They are there to implement the policies of the government of the day. Some (Mark Lancaster, to name one) have service experience.

 

[FOMz]

This sounds like an excuse for more Tory MPs.... so I'm out, not interested.

 

[busby1971]

Does anyone think any politician worth their salt would volunteer for this, or if they did that it would have any impact.

Now if there was a Mayor of the armed forces, there's something that might be worth considering.

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[briggfairy]

Does anyone think any politician worth their salt would volunteer for this, or if they did that it would have any impact.

Now if there was a Mayor of the armed forces, there's something that might be worth considering.

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Would that be along the lines of the police and crimes commissioners? I do quite like the idea of a person who is elected by service members only who represents them regardless of geographic location, maybe with x years of previous service as a pre-requisite

 

[busby1971]

PCC represent the service user not the Police, who out there speaks up for the forces and has the power to influence and impact on their terms and conditions.

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[constar]

Would that be along the lines of the police and crimes commissioners? I do quite like the idea of a person who is elected by service members only who represents them regardless of geographic location, maybe with x years of previous service as a pre-requisite

As with any parliamentary constituency, would-be MPs would have to put themselves up for election by serving members of whatever party they stand for - or stand as an independent (as Reg Keys did). Currently, there are over 50 existing MPs (across all parties) with military experience of varying degrees (Bob Stewart, for example). I'm hoping you will give it click.

 

[unruly1986]

There is already an Armed Forces minister (who is as much use as a cock flavoured lollypop)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_State_for_the_Armed_Forces

Personally- I think this post should be filled by someone who has actually served in the forces.

Mike Penning has served in the forces and comes across as a decent bloke who cares about the lads/lasses on deployments.

 

[constar]

Mike Penning has served in the forces and comes across as a decent bloke who cares about the lads/lasses on deployments.

That may well be so - but he is still a government minister, and as such does not represent you - unless he is your constituency MP. Unless this the case you cannot raise an issue with him directly eg attend his surgery or email him and expect a response.

 

[rest have risen above me]

Doesn't this idea go against the oath we all take? We are to serve Her Majesties government as impartial servants of the crown.

If we are to choose a representative who's constituency is the military then perhaps that's the thin end of the wedge? Don't get me wrong I like the idea but find myself asking questions of the legitimacy? Just a thought for discussion.

 

[busby1971]

Don't think this is an idea about making decisions about what the forces do, more an opportunity to have them represented when decisions are made about how they are treated in a more general sense, conditions, salary etc etc.

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[muttywhitedog]

The Armed Forces would be better served by some type of non-political representation, along the lines of the Police Federation. However, it should not be a rubber stamping committee by senior officers who are looking towards their future "consultancy roles" - it should be an elected body of both service and ex-service personnel, across all services and all ranks.

As Fomz says, having an MP for the Army/Navy/RAF would, in all probability, just give the Tories another 3 MPs.

 

[busby1971]

Agree Mutty, it shouldn't be an independent group working to a remit like the Pay Review Body, rather it should be an independent group reporting to the Govt, who then make the decision taking this into account.

Use of remit driven independent bodies just allows the Govt to wash it's hands and say it is following independent advice, without mentioning the narrow remit they have.

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